Peters



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet 1.

E. KOCH. A

WOOD DISTILLING APPARATUS.

No. 367,413. Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

l viT/nemy (No Model.) A 2 Shets-Sheet 2. E. KOCH.

WOOD DISTILLING APPARATUS. No. 367,413. Patented Aug. 2, 1887.

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UNMMITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EBERHARD KOCH, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CHARLES J ALLEN, OF SAME PLACE.

WOOD-DISTILLING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,413, dated August 2, 1887.

Application filed March 1, 1 88 1.

To all whom ifmay concern.-

Be it known that I, EBERHARD K0011, of New Orleans, in theparish of Orleans and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in ood-Distilling Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use to the same.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for the distillation of wood to remove the alcoholic and resinous elements therefrom 1 and carbonize the fiber.

r 5 Letters Patent of the United States numbered 316,794, dated April 28, 1885, were granted to me for an improved apparatus to effect the distillation of wood, remove and condense volatile products, and carbonize the remaining structural fiber without detriment to the same,and effect the process in an economical and expeditious manner.

It has been found in practice that the general features of construction of the patented 25 devicejust mentioned are operative to a dc;- gree. Continuity of effective operation of the apparatus, however, is seriously impaired by p the accumulation of tarry matter in the neck and throughout the interior surface of the 0 stand-pipe and horizontal branch that leads to the condenser-coil.

The object of my present invention is to overcome the tendency to deposit and carbonize resin in the stand-pipe and its horizontal branch, and thus permit continuous effective action of the distilling apparatus, and also to furnish a means for the easy inspection of the parts liable to stop up, to permit such an examination to be made without arresting the 0 progress of, the workby a removal of pipes or other important fixtures.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts, that will be hereinafter 5 described, and pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings making a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation, in section, of a distilling apparatus with the improved features embodied. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the stand-pipe and its branch Serial NofQQSLIlEB. (No model.)

to the condenser-coil in longitudinal section Fig. 3 is a front sheet plate metal, having an outer masonry 5 envelope, B, that completely incloses the retort.

A furnace, O, is provided at the lower front portion of the retort A, having a horizontal flue, D, extending rearwardly'beneath the retort, and thence vertically to connect with the chimney stack E. A superheating coiled pipe, F, is located in the flue D, and is made to connect its front end, F, with a steam-gen orator. (Not shown.) The rear end of the coil F is upwardly extended to attach to the retort A. The front end of the retort Ais provided with a door, G, which is made steamtight by any suitable means. The masonry that surrounds the retort also has a door, H, 0 of a size corresponding to the dimensions of the retort, to permit the ready removal of the box-trucks \V, that are supported upon wheels to run upon a track placed upon the lower surface of the retort. One or more of these 7 5 movable trucks are furnished, they beingdesigned to contain the wood to be operated upon. The sides of the trucks may be slatted or otherwise made open for the free admission of steam to the wood placed in them.

A duplicate retort, A, is constructed 7 in front of the retort proper, subserving the purpose of a cooling-chamber, into which the trucks \V are removed when the process of carbonization is completed. T he second cham- 35 her or duplicate retort is made air-tight, and to permit trucks placed in this chamber to be removed therefrom a transfer table, N, is placed in front of the duplicate retort to receive the truck upon it. This transfer-table, 9o resting upon a transverse track situated in a v lower plane than the tracks in retort A, allows the removal of the trucks when properly cooled from duplicate retort to the open air for storage of their contents in a proper magazine.

A stand-pipe, I, is fixed into the top surface of the retort A, and is made to extend upwardly a proper distance to connect with a laterally-extended cond nit-pipe, I, that has an outlet, 1 to which the condenser-coil J is se- :00

5 contents of the coil to a receiving-tank.

5 them to be detached readily, and thus give access to the interior of the pipe to cleanse it when required. The vertical stand-pipe I is also provided with a lid, K, to close an outlet made at the top of the stand-pipe for admisio sion to its interior.

In. order to prevent a deposit of carbon upon the horizontal conduit-pipe I, a water-jacket, I, is secured in position to envelop the conduitpipe I, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. This exteriorjacket may be made open at the top,

as a trough, or closed to form a close pipe. A proper space to allow the introduction of a cold-water current through the water-jacket I is made to intervene between the pipe and inner surface of the jacket, as shown in Fig. 2.

From the under side of the lid K the chains in. are suspended to hang vertically in the pipe I.' Upon the lower portion of the looped chains m the wire screen it is attached to form a perforated abutment, upon which impinge the vertically asceiuliug gases evolved by action of the superheated steam upon the wood inclosed in the retort. Several thicknesses of the screeirwire may be used to furnish a su'iiio ciently-stable impinging-surface for the volatile vapors that are carried upward by the in flux of the volume of superheated steam from the inlet-pipe D of the coil D. See Fig. 1.) A steam-gage, L, is fixed to indicate steam- 5 pressure in the retort A.

As the separation of the elementary products of wood carbonized by being subjected to the joint action of heat and superheated steam will evolve considerable uncondcnsable 4c gas, which gas it is important to remove from the condenser-coil J, I connect a bent gaspipe, U, that forms a U-shaped trap, which is preferably connected to a fourway on the lower end of the coil J, and thence leads the The trap will prevent any escape of the gaseous products, which may be conducted oil by a pipe connected to either of the Vertical branches T T of the four-way T, which are provided to lead these gaseous products away.

The gas may be utilized as afuel for steamgeneration or be stored in a gasometer, as desired.

In operation the trucks \V are loaded and 5 5 are introduced into the retort A. The doors of the retort A are now secured steam-tight and fire started to heat the coil D. Steam is introduced and superheated by contact with the hot coil. Its passage through the woodin the retort A will cause a permeation of the wood cells by this superheated steam, and a conse quent abstraction of the alcoholic, albuminous, and resinous elements contained therein.

The pressure of a continued inllux of steam will force the impregnated vapor to riseiuthe stand-pipe and filter through the screen'wire cloth in the stand-pipe I. This will remove the larger portion of the flaky carbon from the impregnated vapor, and its contact with the cooled surface 01' the horizontal conduit-pipe I will throw down more of the tarry products in aliquid form. These may be withd rawn by a suitable pipe-connection and the condenserpipe relieved of the heavy matter, which will have a tendency to choke it and prevent the free withdrawal of the lighter or alcoholicdistillate, that is a valuable product of the carbonizing proccssjust described.

Having fully described the improvement I have combined with my patented apparatus shown in Patent No. 316,7 9-1, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a wood-distilling apparatus, the combination, with a retort and condenser-coil, of a stand-pipe leading from thcretortto the condenscrcoil and having a loosely-depending wire screen adapted to he removed for cleansing purposes, substantially'as set forth.

2. In a woodw'listilling apparatus, the combination, with a retort, a stand-pipe, and condenser-coil, of a conduit connecting the stamipipe and condenser-coil, and a water trough or jacket surrounding the conduit, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a wood-distilling apparatus, the combination, with a sealed retort, of a stand-pipe and conduit-pipe communicating therewith, each provided with removable lids to giveaccess to their interiors, substantially as set forth.

4. In a wood-distilling apparatus, the combination, with a sealed retort, of a stand-pipe having a removable lid on its top, and having chain-suspended screens, and horizontal conduit-pipe provided with a waterjacket and removable lids, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

nnnnrmun noon.

lVitnesses:

JAMES F. I'IENRY, J r., C. SoHiiLEu. 

